A bipartisan US House delegation led by Democrat Adam Smith met Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing, marking the first such visit since 2019. Li said the trip could help “break the ice” and strengthen bilateral ties.
Smith stressed the need for more frequent political exchanges, saying it was wrong for Congress to wait “6–7 years” between visits. Diplomatic contacts had stalled after China’s Covid-19 border closures and tensions over the pandemic’s origins.